Performance evaluation of a PET insert for preclinical MRI in stand-alone PET and simultaneous PET-MRI modes.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a preclinical PET insert in three configurations: as a stand-alone unit outside the MRI bore, inside the bore of a cryogen-free 3T MRI and, finally, while performing simultaneous PET/MRI studies.

Methods: The PET insert consists of two rings of six detectors, each detector comprising 8 × 12 SiPMs reading out dual offset layers of pixelated LYSO crystals with a 1.4-mm pitch.

Optimising the process for conducting scoping reviews.

Knowledge synthesis constitutes a key part of evidence-based medicine and a scoping review is a type of knowledge synthesis that maps the breadth of literature on a topic. Conducting a scoping review is resource intensive and, as a result, it can be challenging to maintain best practices throughout the process. Much of the current guidance describes a scoping review framework or broad ways to conduct a scoping review.

Astrocytic TSPO Upregulation Appears Before Microglial TSPO in Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: In vivo PET/SPECT imaging of neuroinflammation is primarily based on the estimation of the 18 kDa-translocator-protein (TSPO). However, TSPO is expressed by different cell types which complicates the interpretation.

Objective: The present study evaluates the cellular origin of TSPO alterations in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Scoping review of symptoms in children with rare, progressive, life-threatening disorders.

Background: Q3 conditions are progressive, metabolic, neurological or chromosomal childhood conditions without a cure. Children with these conditions face an unknown lifespan as well as unstable and uncomfortable symptoms. Clinicians and other healthcare professionals are challenged by a lack of evidence for symptom management for these conditions.

A Scoping Review of Transdermal Buprenorphine Use for Non-surgical Pain in the Pediatric Population.

 A preliminary evaluation to review the scope and quality of evidence surrounding transdermal buprenorphine use in the pediatric setting for non-surgical pain was conducted. Our review revealed limited data available on the use of transdermal buprenorphine in pediatric patients. Most studies surrounding this subject involve accidental ingestion of buprenorphine and its use in the treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Retrospective Review of the Use of Transdermal Buprenorphine Patches (Butrans) in a Pediatric Population.

Buprenorphine is an opioid medication used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. In Canada, buprenorphine is not indicated for use in the pediatric population and literature surrounding its use in pediatrics is limited. Our aim was to evaluate the safety of transdermal buprenorphine in a pediatric palliative care setting.

Breaking Down Silos: Consensus-Based Recommendations for Improved Content, Structure, and Accessibility of Advance Directives in Emergency and Out-of-Hospital Settings.

Patients receiving palliative care often interact with a variety of health care providers across various settings. While patients may experience good care from these services, the connection between these can be disjointed as care providers may work siloed from each other. This is particularly true in out-of-hospital and hospital emergency settings, where providers have no prior knowledge of the patient, particularly their advanced directives (ADs) and goals of care.

Pharmacological interventions for chronic pain in children: an overview of systematic reviews.

We know little about the safety or efficacy of pharmacological medicines for children and adolescents with chronic pain, despite their common use. Our aim was to conduct an overview review of systematic reviews of pharmacological interventions that purport to reduce pain in children with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) or chronic cancer-related pain (CCRP). We searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Medline, EMBASE, and DARE for systematic reviews from inception to March 2018.

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting to reveal the cell origin of radioligand binding.

Many studies have explored the role of TSPO (18 kDa translocator protein) as a marker of neuroinflammation using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET). In vivo imaging does not allow to determine the cells in which TSPO is altered. We propose a methodology based on fluorescence-activated cell sorting to sort different cell types of radioligand-treated tissues.

Monte Carlo investigation of the characteristics of radioactive beams for heavy ion therapy.

This work presents a simulation study evaluating relative biological effectiveness at 10% survival fraction (RBE10) of several different positron-emitting radionuclides in heavy ion treatment systems, and comparing these to the RBE10s of their non-radioactive counterparts. RBE10 is evaluated as a function of depth for three positron-emitting radioactive ion beams (C, C and O) and two stable ion beams (C and O) using the modified microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM) in a heterogeneous skull phantom subject to a rectangular 50 mm × 50 mm × 60 mm spread out Bragg peak. We demonstrate that the RBE10 of the positron-emitting radioactive beams is almost identical to the corresponding stable isotopes.

Opportunistic dose amplification for proton and carbon ion therapy via capture of internally generated thermal neutrons.

This paper presents Neutron Capture Enhanced Particle Therapy (NCEPT), a method for enhancing the radiation dose delivered to a tumour relative to surrounding healthy tissues during proton and carbon ion therapy by capturing thermal neutrons produced inside the treatment volume during irradiation. NCEPT utilises extant and in-development boron-10 and gadolinium-157-based drugs from the related field of neutron capture therapy. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that a typical proton or carbon ion therapy treatment plan generates an approximately uniform thermal neutron field within the target volume, centred around the beam path.

TSPO and amyloid deposits in sub-regions of the hippocampus in the 3xTgAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

The involvement of the 18kDa translocator protein (TSPO), a marker of neuroinflammation, in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains controversial. In the present report, we used [I]-CLINDE, a SPECT TSPO radiotracer never before used in AD, and we investigated the relationship between TSPO and amyloid plaque density (using [I]-DRM106) in a triple transgenic mouse model of AD (3xTgAD, APP, PS1 and Tau). Our results show that TSPO increases appear before those of amyloid deposits.

Development and Implementation of a Survey to Assess Health-Care Provider's Competency, Attitudes, and Knowledge About Perinatal Palliative Care.

Perinatal palliative care is an emerging area of health care. To date, no published tools assess health-care provider's knowledge and level of comfort in providing such care. A 2-phase study was undertaken to develop and implement a survey to evaluate the self-assessed competency, attitudes, and knowledge of health-care providers working in perinatal palliative care.

Yoga for Young Adults With Noncurative Cancer: A Brief Report.

Background: The practice of yoga has been shown to improve disease- and treatment-related side effects in the noncurative cancer patient.

Objective: This user experience study aimed to examine the feasibility and usefulness of a DVD-based yoga program for young adult cancer patients with a noncurative diagnosis.

Methods: Participants were asked to partake in a 7-week DVD-based yoga program and complete measures of program use and usefulness.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for cancer-related pain in children and adolescents.

Background: Pain is a common feature of childhood and adolescence around the world, and for many young people, that pain is chronic. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for pharmacological treatments for persisting pain in children acknowledge that pain in children is a major public health concern of high significance in most parts of the world. Views on children's pain have changed over time and relief of pain is now seen as important.

Opioids for cancer-related pain in children and adolescents.

Background: Pain is a common feature of childhood and adolescence around the world, and for many young people, that pain is chronic. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for pharmacological treatments for children's persisting pain acknowledge that pain in children is a major public health concern of high significance in most parts of the world. Views on children's pain have changed over time and relief of pain is now seen as important.

Pediatric palliative care in Canada in 2012: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Background: Pediatric palliative care focuses on comprehensive symptom management and enhancing quality of life for children with life-threatening conditions and their families. Our aim was to describe Canadian programs that provided specialized pediatric palliative care in 2012 and the children who received it and to estimate the proportion of children who might benefit that received specialized care.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used.

In vivo PET imaging with [(18)F]FDG to explain improved glucose uptake in an apolipoprotein A-I treated mouse model of diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: Type 2 diabetes is characterised by decreased HDL levels, as well as the level of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the main apolipoprotein of HDLs. Pharmacological elevation of HDL and apoA-I levels is associated with improved glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. This is partly due to improved glucose uptake in skeletal muscle.

OSSI-PET: Open-Access Database of Simulated [(11)C]Raclopride Scans for the Inveon Preclinical PET Scanner: Application to the Optimization of Reconstruction Methods for Dynamic Studies.

A wide range of medical imaging applications benefits from the availability of realistic ground truth data. In the case of positron emission tomography (PET), ground truth data is crucial to validate processing algorithms and assessing their performances. The design of such ground truth data often relies on Monte-Carlo simulation techniques.